On the cover, there was drawn an image of an open eye.

 
Uthner’s daughter still will not wake up.  She went to harvest the mingun root in the dark of the moon~8 days ago now.  Her sisters found her sleeping in the forest the next morning.  No spell, potion, or elixer has been able to rouse her.  The Blackface woman says her spirit walks with the undying, and will not return until they tire of her.  Amiraael was silent when I asked him about it, but his eyes laughed at me.

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Our envoys returned from the nightdwellers today.  These strange people have made offers of trade and mutual assistance.  They must be desperate by now.  I doubt the Hrahil have opened any of the wayposts to them, so they must be finding it extremely difficult to irrigate or to transport crops from the surface.  I do not know what they could have that we would want, but perhaps we will help them anyway.  I will ask Amiraael what he think of their efforts.

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Amiraael mocks them and calls them the “Fallen Forgotten,” all the while muttering about “lost stars.”  I know not what he means and he, as usual, will not explain.  They shun the daylight and burrow like moles into mountains.  We warned them of the Oblivion Scorpions, but they are arrogant and without fear.  The Hrahil do not suffer intrusions into their realm~ but it has been many years since they were seen.  Perhaps they have gone deeper than we thought.  I hope so, for the sake of these nightdwellers.

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The Blackface woman has come again, speaking of dreams and omens.  She says a black bony beast waits in the mountains, and she sees it rising and devouring the land.  I believe her vision means the nightdwellers have disturbed the Hrahil and will soon know their wrath.  I have reassured the Blackface woman; the Hrahil have long been our allies and would not harm us~ they know we aid their quest as well as we can from the surface.

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So many of our people have died in the last month.  I and the rest of the Order have been working tirelessly seeking a solution or even an explanation.  None of us have ever seen creatures like this.  They hunt us unceasingly and can find us no matter where we hide.  I will go to Amiraael on the morrow and beg shelter from his people.  It has been so long since the Alinel have had to beg~ I hope we remember how.

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Amiraael says his people will shelter us~ he laughed when he said the word “shelter.”  His laughter chilled my blood, and I wondered for a moment if we would not be safer staying here and trying to fight the creatures.  

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The gate is closing.

Amiraael says we have no more than two days left.  It is not enough time~ we will be leaving so many for the creatures to devour.  There will be no aid from the nightdwellers.  They do not know the meaning of compassion.

 

   Nox                        

Casus  

           Erit

 

 

 

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The translation of those last words could vary, but comes to similar meaning, a downfall, night falling.  "Nox" is night; "casus" means a falling, downfall, violent death; and "erit" means "will be".